Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Top Five Psychedelic Rock Songs

As my cat would say: did you ever really look at your paw?

When I was growing up, just before corporations bought up every last radio station on earth and programmed it to within an inch of its life, I used to listen to a DJ named Peter Cole on a station out of Hartford.

Every Friday afternoon, he'd play a long set of psychedelic rock (even though that type of music was never heard on the radio station at any other time). I wanted to be Peter Cole when I grew up.

But instead, decades later, I'll settle for a semi-random Top 5 that were regularly featured in those Friday afternoon sets:

5. Count Five -- Psychotic Reaction


4. The Amboy Dukes (with Ted Nugent) -- Journey to the Center of Your Mind


3. Small Faces -- Itchykoo Park


2. Strawberry Alarm Clock -- Incense and Peppermints


and number 1: The Electric Prunes -- I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night)
Later covered by Stiv Bators in his brief punky power pop period (which unfortuntely came right before his long dead period).


Feel free to argue and suggest alternatives.

8 comments:

Mister Pleasant said...

Great topic and excellent choices. Oh yeah, Itchykoo Park would be at the top of my list. Others on my list would be...

Pink Floyd - See Emily Play
The Chambers Brothers - Time Has Come Today
Bubblepuppy - Hot Smoke and Sasafrass can't beat raw Texas Psych
Tages - To Be Free awesome Swedish psych/pop from their Abbey Road period
Halfnelson - Big Rock Candy Mountain proto-Sparks from their California-psych demo album
Autosalvage - Parahighway

Anonymous said...

"Pushing Too Hard" by the Seeds
"We Ain't Got Nothing Yet" by the Blues Magoos

Who Am Us Anyway? said...

I'm with Mr. Pleasant re both Itchykoo Park & the greatness of this topic.

This afternoon I'll mull over my "Top 5 Psychedelic Songs that Don’t Include the Jefferson Airplane or the Beatles or Any Song Previously Posted on Either of our Blogs or in These Comments Yet!!" And then get back to you! Walking on water wasn't built in a day!

Alex said...

Who, I completely forgot about the Jefferson Airplane... hmmmm.

Now if only I could find my vinyl copy of the original Nuggets...

Who Am Us Anyway? said...

Sorry! Had things to do, places to go, people to please! But finally:

Top 5 Psychedelic Songs that Don’t Include the Jefferson Airplane or the Beatles or Any Song Previously Posted on Either My Blog or Your Blog or Your Blog's Comments Yet!!

(1) Rory Erikson & The 13th Floor Elevators – You’re going to Miss Me

(2) Kinks -- See My Friends

(3) Yardbirds – Still I’m Sad

(4) Pink Floyd -- Arnold Layne

(5) The Crazy World of Arthur Brown -- Fire!

Alex said...

Excellent list, Who! I always forget that the Kinks had a few wonderfully psychedelic moments.

And I know you know it's Roky Erickson (or maybe the typo makes it more psychedelic).

Who Am Us Anyway? said...

I am the GOD of all typos, and I bring you ... Rory!

whiteray said...

Nice choices . . . . "Incense & Peppermints" takes me back to the gym in junior high. We got to listen to records and dance during the last bits of lunch hour. Well, the girls danced and the guys watched. And "Incense . . ." brings back the vision of a gal named Marlys dancing in a silver skirt with neon green boots . . .